Part of the Regan Coaching Legacy Coaches (L-R): (L-R): Ryan Wall (FC Wheeling U-13s), Tony Trabert (FC Wheeling), Jon Arlet (Bethany College women's soccer), Jim Regan, Carrie Hanna (Wheeling Park Girls) Sean Regan (Bethany College men's soccer), Mario Julian (Wheeling Park Boys) and Greg Martin (Linsley School girls)

Men's Soccer 6/15/2017 3:33:00 PM Chris Myers

Cardinals Regan and his Ohio Valley Soccer Coaching Legacy

WHEELING, W.Va. – All across the Ohio Valley soccer landscape, one characteristic, or should you say individual, ties it together. Wheeling Jesuit's long-time head soccer coach James Regan has built a true Coaching Legacy with 14 area and regional coaches touching 11 different soccer programs over the past more than three decades coaching on the pitch.

Coach Regan's coaching branches start with his sons Sean, the head men's coach at Bethany College and Brandon, a men's assistant coach at Robert Morris College. The coaching tree branches over to the area high school ranks with both Wheeling Park High's coaches of Mario Julian for the boys' and Carrie Hanna on the girls' side, Linsley boys' coach Greg Martin and Wheeling Central's Joe Spangler.

The veteran Cardinals coach's influence includes his WJU women's head coach counterpart Tyler Absalom and Bethany College head women's coach Jon Arlet, along with Anthony James, who is an assistant women's coach for the University of Pittsburgh.

Regan's coaching connections also reaches into the regional club soccer team scene. Four of the various F.C. Wheeling level coaches add to the Regan coaching tree of Ryan Wall, David Torrance, Tony Trabert and Cecily Powell. Johann Marin rounds out the 14 soccer coaches as a coach for the Fury S.C.

"I am proud of my former WJU players and assistant coaches now giving back to the sport in their local community and area colleges," said Regan.

There are not many more accomplished soccer coaches across the country than Regan for the 14 coaches to have learned and carried the sport's coaching knowledge to other young players.

Starting in 1981 as an assistant at Bethany, the Belfast, Ireland native has produced over 551 collegiate head coaching wins as he heads into his 35^th year directing the Cardinals men's team this fall.

In 1982, his second year as part of the Bison coaching staff, the veteran coach helped his alma mater to the NCAA Division III National final. Regan took his coaching from Bethany to Wheeling Jesuit a year later as the part-time head men's coach, while he also taught at Wheeling Country Day School. He has made the Wheeling campus his home ever since.

Over the last 34 seasons, his WJU men's team have totaled 366 victories with a .594 winning percentage. Those squads made one NAIA National Tournament and one NCAA National Tournament Elite Eight appearance.

Along with his outstanding men's soccer accolades, Regan started the Cardinals women's soccer team in 1988 and coached both WJU teams through the 2001 season. While he directed the women's team, Regan took them to three NAIA National Tournaments and recorded a 185-92-7 mark (.664).

With his college successes on the pitch, Regan's influence on Wheeling soccer did not stop there. The soccer coach's legacy in the Wheeling community started with being one of the founding members of the Wheeling Soccer Club Youth travel soccer club. In fact, with the Wheeling Soccer Club, Regan coached the team to a West Virginia State Cup championship.

Regan has been recognized by both Bethany College and WJU for his playing and coaching. The Cardinals coach was inducted into the Bethany College Hall of Fame as a player and a few years ago entered the WJU Hall of Fame as a coach.

Despite his coaching successes, Regan turns back to what has become his coaching linage.

"I am very proud of how the former WJU alums who are involved in the game they love and acting as role models within the community," added Regan.

There are not many coaches of a single sport where that one coach's influence can be seen scholastically, collegiately and in the youth ranks as Regan's does across the Ohio Valley.

Long after his days of actively coaching soccer, the three-and-a-half decades of his Coaching Legacy will continue to be seen for the years to come and end up helping many more young soccer players from early in their years through college age.

-GoCards-

Print Friendly Version